Category Archives: North Central News

Upgrade your sprinkler package to maximize yields. A lot of guys overlook the most important part of an irrigator, the sprinklers! Any one can squirt water, but can you uniformly apply it, increase yields, and decrease pumping costs? The single biggest improvement you can do to your machine is upgrade the sprinklers. If your current package is more than 10 years old or what was on the machine when it moved, now might be a great time to upgrade. Your well will be flow checked and then a package custom designed for your field will be created. Changes in elevation, crop, pressure, soil type and type of machine will all factor into the final package.

Looking to water additional acres that you already own? Add a Nelson R55i (i=Inverted) to the end of your machine. When your end gun shuts off the R55i will continue water the crops beyond your machine (35-45′ depending on pressure). Eliminate dry wedges and increase yields. Enjoy a very quick and easy return on a couple hundred dollar investment. The inverted model simply threads into your 2″ plug on the end of your machine. It can also be controlled with an valve if running up near a road or obstacle. Operates on 15-40 PSI only.

A Valley precision corner watering from the summer of 2016. This clearly shows how smooth the corner VFD drives allow the machine to water. If you look close you can see the inner towers starting and stopping while the last tower and corner move constantly. This machine has the patented Valley water utilization package installed. This adds 22 more sprinklers for maximum water uniformity as the corner extends and retracts.

Senninger 10PSI Up3 Xcel Wobbler sprinkler is now available. This sprinkler has the ability to create a huge 45-50′ wetted diameter on only 10PSI of pipeline pressure. If you have windy conditions, the larger droplet size produced by this sprinkler will be less affected. When your machine needs to be super low pressure, this is definitely a sprinkler you want to consider. They also work great for a gardens or deer food plots.

North Central Irrigation is an authorized AGSENSE dealer and can help your control your pivots remotely regardless of brand or panel. Bring older machines into the 21st century with an easily to install and operate FIELD COMMANDER. Reduce your trips to the field, receive alerts and alarms on your smart device, and know what is happening with your equipment. Using a free app, your smart device, and a FIELD COMMANDER your operation will run smoother and be more profitable. AGSENSE has more remote managed irrigation center pivots than all other brands combined!

Been busy hooking up machines to the underground pipelines. We are using the Nelson air reliefs to completely fill the pivot with water and prevent air squirting out of the sprinklers instead of water. These also help to keep the underground pipe full, maximizing your pump’s power usage, and optimizing your sprinkler package. They act continuously, not just on start up like the aluminum ones.

Some recent welding projects. As the weather has heated up, so are the welding jobs. We can copy a rusted out part, like the Lockwood clean-out stub, or start from scratch and build a heavy wall aluminum discharge or connection pipe. Whatever you can dream up we have the capability to build it. These were welded with a Miller 252 and Spool-matic 30A gun. The auto valve connection pipe below has a lot of parts operating on it. 3″ pressure relief valve, 2″ air relief, 0-100 PSI pressure gauge, 2X Injection ports, 2″ sprayer fill port, water faucet, and 1″ bottom pipe drain.

Kick your old pump control radios to the curb, and upgrade to Valley Pump Connects. With a 3 mile range, these radios can be used for more than just pivots. Custom manure haulers love them for remote pump ON-OFF capabilities as well as people operating electric grain augers. You can use Pump Controls to turn anything on and off remotely as long as there is 120volt or 12VDC present.

A new 3 Tower machine loaded up and ready to be built. This machine has the optional Valley Drop Span. Because of an odd shaped field, this allows the machine to pick-up additional acres without having to use a traveling gun or adding another pivot to the same field. Drop spans cuts costs, saves extra hassle with traveling guns, and still increases irrigated acres/your bottom line.

You may not need your center pivots during planting season, but they need a little attention before you fire them up. Here are some tips to get your equipment ready for irrigation season.

Drive Train
To maximize the life of your drive train and keep it operating trouble-free, periodically drain any water that accumulates in the gearbox and center drive, and make sure the gear lubricant is at the proper level.

Wheel Ruts
Be sure to fill deep wheel tracks during the off-season to reduce stress on irrigation, tillage, and harvest equipment. To help prevent future tracking, consider changing to a higher floatation tire, adding a floatation drive unit option, or modifying the sprinkler package to reduce water application to the wheel tracks.

Motor Contactors
Damaged motor contactors can reduce the life of the drive unit motor, so be sure to inspect and replace worn contactors.

Moving Parts
Steel moving on steel without proper lubrication can lead to unnecessary wear and tear on irrigation equipment. Be sure to grease all moving parts, including the pivot point bearing, towable hubs, and corner rollers.

Sprinkler Package
Water application is at the heart of what you do, in order to do this as best possible; sprinkler packages need to be properly designed and maintained to a high degree of accuracy. Generally, sprinkler packages should be replaced at least every 10,000 hours of operation. Regularly check for broken or worn sprinkler components and replace them as necessary. Also, consider running a new sprinkler design that could maximize uniformity and application efficiency, and help alleviate application issues such as runoff, ponding and soil sealing.

Energy Efficiency
When done properly, you can minimize water pumping costs by reducing the machine’s operating pressure to a point that still produces enough pressure to operate the sprinkler package satisfactorily. Monitor pivot pressure regularly and ensure it remains adequate (as designed) throughout the season.

Tire Pressure
Maintaining the correct tire pressure is vital to the operation of irrigation equipment; the correct tire pressure ensures that floatation for a particular tire is maximized and the rolling circumference is consistent to what Valley uses on timer chart calculations. Be sure to periodically check tire pressure and adjust it to specification. Also, don’t forget to tighten wheel lug nuts and evaluate the overall tire condition. All tires lose pressure over time and lose or gain about 1 PSI per 10 degrees F of temperature change.

Pivot Alignment & Pipe Flushing
Ensure the tower box micro-switches are set properly. Improper settings can cause pivot misalignment, which results in nuisance shutdowns. Flushing your pipe line and cleaning your sand trap is essential if you have water quality problems or your irrigation water contains sand.

U-joints
Evaluate your equipment for worn u-joint inserts and ensure driveshaft shields are in place for safety.

Electrical Connections
Be sure to power down the equipment before checking any electrical connections. Once the power is off, check for loose connections or loose cord grips in tower boxes.

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Contact Us

Got a Question? Give us a call, send us an email or simply stop by one of our office’s and visit with us.

Diversified has also been financing farm equipment for over 35 years. Diversified works with an extensive network of equipment dealers and manufacturers, and provides financing for all types of agricultural equipment in all 50 states. Diversified offers:

Low fixed and variable rates

Retail contracts and high residual leases

Same rates for new and used equipment

Flexible repayment terms

Simplified credit application process

Irrigation Equipment Financing

Diversified has been committed to irrigation equipment financing for over 35 years. Diversified offers:

Low fixed and variable rates

Retail contracts and leases

Same rates for new and used systems

Zero down and delayed payment programs

Flexible repayment terms

Simplified credit application process

Span Towing

North Central has extensive experience towing used spans. We have 2 boom trucks and span carts to make your moving project go fast. The trucks are set-up with special towing stubs that secure the span and prevent bent pipes. Anyone can tow spans, but no one can tow them as fast or as safely as we can. We also have the ability to tow corner arms.

A span on its way to its new home

Hitting the road

Crab walking a corner

Touching down in its new Home

Crash Repair

CRASH! Life happens. Mother Nature happens. Distracted workers happen. Whether it is by man, nature or malfunctioning control systems, we have you covered. In most situations we provide same day evaluations and repairs. We have experience fixing all brands. From bent pipes to complete span rebuilds.

We have almost unlimited capability to fabricate and build whatever you may need. Aluminum water hook-ups build to last, repairing pipes, rebuilding pivot points, farm equipment repairs, and basic welding. Contact us about your project today!

Full remote control valve install

Infield welding available

Plug Welding

Trailer Redecking

High Speed Aluminum MIG welding

NCI Built Custom Rear Hydraulic Hitch

Pivot Layout

We take the time to engineer your machine to fit your field properly. This involves: talking and planning with you, measuring your field, computer span layout, 3-D terrain analysis, and finally a quote. Anyone can put up a machine and squirt water, but when it comes to watering correctly to increase your bottom line, you can’t skip steps and hope things work out during harvest.

We have the ability to properly irrigate just about any shape or slope of field. Below are some examples of what is possible.

Bender 160

4 Positions Covered by a Towable Pivot

43 Acre Narrow Field

Terrain Analysis

Irrigation VFD

NCI has experience with just about every brand of irrigation VFD available. The sky is the limit with options and controls. Converting single phase to three phase is our most common installation, but even three phase panels are gaining popularity. Anyone interested in saving money on their electric bill or wanting to change pump speed based on demand (If you have a corner arm on your system for example) would benefit from installing a VFD.

Brands:

ABB

Franklin Electric/Cerus

Electro-Power/Mitsubishi

LS Industrial

Single Phase Multi-Pivot

3 Phase VFD Conversion

3 Phase Conversion

Electrical Services

Looking for the ultimate service entrance? Let North Central design a custom service entrance for you! Master Electricians on hand ready to help get your project done the right way.

Available with any Pro2 control panel or AutoPilot Linear (for linears) – VRI software upgrade required

Required hardware includes addition of VRI Zone Control box, VRI control panel hardware, and control valves for each sprinkler that will be managed by VRI Zone Control

How It Works

A VRI Zone Control Prescription is uploaded to your Valley ICON or Pro2 control panel (for center pivots), or AutoPilot Linear control panel (for linears).

The VRI Zone Control feature is turned on in the control panel.

When your center pivot or linear is running with water, the application depth is adjusted by changing the sprinkler control valve pulse rate for the individual sectors. This change in pulse rate is based on the percentage of application depth set in the Prescription.

Valley VRI Speed Control

Product Features

Based on an uploaded VRI Prescription, speeds up/slows down the pivot to achieve the desired application depth along a sector

Standard with any Valley ICON® smart panel. Available to install on any Pro2 or Select2 control panel, with required software upgrade

Uses existing sprinkler package

With use of some remote communications devices, VRI Speed Control can be used with the Valley Classic or ClassicPlus control panels, as well as with non-Valley machines.

How It Works

Upload your VRI Speed Control Prescription to your control panel or compatible remote communication device. Up to five Prescriptions can be uploaded and stored at a time.

In your control panel or compatible remote communication device, turn on VRI Speed Control and select a Prescription.

When your center pivot is running with water, the application depth is adjusted by increasing or decreasing speed of the center pivot, which has been programmed in the Prescription.

Irrigate-IQ Uniform Corner

Product Features

Achieve a uniform application in areas covered by the corner arm

Optimize water use by avoiding over- or under-watering

Minimize the risk of a reduced flow rate through accurate nozzle control

Reduce runoff and leaching

Improve crop quality and yield

Product Advantages

Consistent application

Individual nozzle control

Reliable valves

Flexible options

Irrigate-IQ VRI

Create Irrigation Plans

Generate your own prescription maps by drawing polygons on top of a satellite map or use an EC soil map to create your irrigation plan

Work with your trusted advisor to create VRI plans that compensate for variations in soil properties, vegetative health, topography and precipitation history within each field

Manage exclusion zones to ensure water is not being wasted in areas that don’t need it, such as roadways or other fixed landmarks

Update and send your irrigation plans instantly and wirelessly to the irrigator

Water With Precision

Control individual nozzles to apply the right depth in the right spot

Disperse effluent through your irrigation system without blocking or corroding valves

Optimize application beyond the pivot circle using corner arm control and VRI plans

Control end guns to ensure they apply beyond the pivot circle only where require

Product Features

Improve crop quality and yield

Optimize water resources and water use efficiency

Minimize input costs of water, fertigation, or effluent

Reduce energy costs for fuel and electricity

Ensure even application to reduce run-off and leaching

Meet environmental regulations by controlling and reporting on where and how much you irrigate

Auto Valves

No more driving to the field or fields to manually switch over. Save time. Besides basic ON-OFF operation, auto valves can also control pressure to a set point without the use of electronics.

We stock and install 2 brands: Nelson and X-Cad. Both brands come in 6″ and 8″ sizes, with the 6″ Nelson being the most popular. The 6″ Nelson valve can flow 1000GPM with 1 PSI of pressure loss through the valve. This means we can save you money by installing a 6″ valve into your 8″ pipeline.

Data Radios

Product Specifications

One Frequency per farm

Fields analyzed for correct elevation path

A base computer set-up to include your pivots, GPS locations, and pivot information

Base computer installed at the center of operations

Data radios are added to the pivots that need to be controlled remotely (Easily added to rented pivots as well)

Communications are checked and tested

You are then able to FULLY control and receive updates from your pivots

You enjoy added peace of mind and an increased free time

Agsense Remote Irrigation

Think of AgSense as a remote farm management solution. You can monitor and manage farm components through any Internet-connected smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.

And everything is managed by the AgSense App, a global network built specifically for the ag industry. The AgSense App captures data, aggregates it and delivers it back to you, so you can put the information to work. This irrigation technology network provides unlimited, real-time remote management for just about everything related to your operation.

BaseStation3

BaseStation3™ from Valley® Irrigation is the most innovative, state-of-the-art irrigation management solution on the market, pushing monitoring and control technology to the next level to improve your farm and your quality of life. Remotely manage all your irrigation equipment from a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone – using native iOS (iPhone, iPad) or Android apps – for more control and more freedom.

Choose an Internet-connected or stand-alone installation, and select data radio, cellular modems, Internet protocol or a combination of technologies – a choice no one else offers. With Valley BaseStation3, you no longer need to plan your life around your irrigation schedule. Now, you can schedule irrigation around your life.

Cellular Connectivity

Use is subject only to signal strength. If you have signal, you have the ability to control you pivot remotely. To ensure that this product is correct for your needs we will perform a site survey for cellular connectivity. A yearly subscription fee is charged for 365 days of control. Cellular control is a more economical option to data radios with all of the same benefits. We can control any brand of pivot in any location. Get a free quote today!

Radio Connected Pumps

High speed communication, longer range (Up to 3 miles), modular field replaceable components, heavy duty enclosures. An excellent replacement for “other” brands of pump radios with slow communications, non replaceable components, and outdated technology. Works with electric and diesel irrigation motors. Will work with up to 48 radios on one network. Can be used to control other things besides irrigation, manure pumps, oil and gas pumps, electric grain augers, waste water valves, factory automation (line of sight), outdoor lighting, etc. Because it draws so little power to operate it can be set-up to run off a 12 Volt battery for extended periods of time, if 120 Volts are not available.